Will it be lights out in Winchester Bay?

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»Play VideoIn this undated photo released by the Douglas County Museum, the Umpqua River Lighthouse in Winchester Bay, Ore. is shown. Since 1894, two white beams of light followed by a red one have pierced the darkness from the Umpqua River Lighthouse at Winchester Bay. The U.S. Coast Guard, the owner of the lighthouse, is evaluating whether the light is still needed for navigation. If not, the two-ton first-order lens and its 616 colored and clear glass panels that were cut by hand in Paris could be removed and placed in a museum. (AP Photo/Douglas County Museum)

He says over 21,000 visitors tour this lighthouse each year and it would be a shame to lose that draw.

"It's the only one that has red in it on the Oregon Coast, it's really been an icon here forever and our concern is, this is such a huge part of our local history that we certainly don't want to lose that cultural awareness that this brings to the area."

But, with maintenance costs and the era of Global Positioning Satellites, the Coast Guard is considering shutting off the light.

Akre says it costs about $6,000 annually in upkeep, but the light is considered priceless by those at sea.

"There are people that say that when the fog is really thick, and even though they have their GPS, it's really a comforting sight to have this beacon available to you out on the ocean."

The Friends of Umpqua Light encourage anyone interested in preserving the lens there to attend the Umpqua River Lighthouse's 116th birthday anniversary celebration on Sept. 24 and 25.

Pictures from our front porch of the Stout Fire from Sutherlin on the evening of July 30, 2015. Later in the evening after the moon rise, the effect of the smoke from the fires in Douglas County on the moon.